Bipartisan Lawmakers Come Together To Urge Boehner To Allow House ENDA Vote

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have joined forces to ask House Speaker John Boehner to allow a floor vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would protect LGBT individuals from employment discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"An innate sense of fairness compels our country to rise above all forms of workplace discrimination," the letter states. "ENDA would help us move towards this goal in a manner that balances worker protections with respect for religious employers. Keeping with the notion that employees should be judged on their merits alone, the bill explicitly prohibits preferential treatment or hiring quotas. We are not seeking special privileges – just equal protections."

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In their Tuesday letter to Boehner, the 10 Democrat and Republican members of Congress urged Boehner to "allow the members to vote as they see fit – and demonstrate to the American people that Congress can work in a bipartisan manner on an important issue of fairness."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi both believe that ENDA would pass in the House if a vote was allowed to be brought to the floor.

That's, of course, why Speaker Boehner refuses to let it happen.

Rep. Maloney says in a statement: Despite strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, Speaker Boehner is refusing to do the right thing for our country. The bipartisan Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a simple concept supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans – people should be evaluated based on their job performance, not who they love or who they are. It's a disgrace that Speaker Boehner continues to put his own partisan politics ahead of the American people."

Do you think this show of bipartisan support will have an impact, Instincters?